Historical fiction Book Cover Design (Evoking sad and scary)

Visuals: The cover features a vast, open field under a darkened, stormy sky. A massive, realistic tornado spirals dramatically across the center of the cover, its funnel stretching from sky to ground in a swirling, ominous grey. The background is dominated by dark clouds, emphasizing the foreboding atmosphere. In the foreground, wildflowers sway violently in the wind, casting a stark contrast to the chaos above. The field fades into the darkness at the edges, drawing focus to the central tornado.

Typography: The book title "The Storm of the Century" is presented in a bold, serif font with a slightly distressed texture to convey a sense of historical depth. The text is positioned at the top of the cover in a large size, with the author's name, "Kimberly Lok", in a smaller, sans-serif font at the bottom, maintaining simplicity and readability against the tumultuous backdrop.

Layout: The title is centered at the top, with the tornado taking up the majority of the central space. The author's name is aligned at the bottom right, ensuring it stands out without detracting from the dramatic imagery. Dark spaces are left at the edges for visual balance and emphasis on the field and storm.

Explanation: For the visual composition, the central image of the tornado captures the intensity and historic nature of the storm, pivotal for evoking the book's sad and scary emotional undertones. The wildflowers add a touch of vulnerability to the scene, symbolizing the fragility of life in the face of nature's wrath. The typography choices balance historical gravitas with modern readability, essential for drawing in the historical fiction audience while still being approachable. The layout emphasizes the drama of the tornado while keeping the text clear and prominent. A matte finish is selected to maintain the cover's visual integrity, ensuring that the dramatic imagery of the storm is highlighted without any distracting reflections.